Arts and Culture

MPR News has you covered with news and stories about local art and culture happenings across Minnesota.

Art Hounds: Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. You can explore arts events here, or become an Art Hound today.

Art Reviews: Our arts team offers insight on the latest in theater, music, visual arts and more. We explore the breadth of creativity and innovation found throughout Minnesota, offering audiences a deeper understanding of the works and artists shaping our cultural landscape. Read more here.

Art Friend: Everyone needs an art friend. Art Friend is a new segment with our arts team. Art spaces can feel exclusive and art can be confusing, obtuse, and even boring. But, especially with the right context, everyone can be a critic. So let us be your guide- your Art Friend. Listen or read Art Friend stories here.

Our arts coverage is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment's Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.

'Tightrope' implores America to make changes to save itself
A new book by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn is an agonizing account of how apathy and cruelty have turned America into a nightmare for many less fortunate citizens. But it is not without hope.
Living an everyday life amid the disrupters in 'Uncanny Valley'
Anna Wiener's new memoir chronicles the time she spent working in Silicon Valley tech startups. She says industry narratives tend to be about genius and innovation — not ordinary employees.
'Joker' tops Oscar nominations with 11; 3 other films get 10
Todd Phillips' much-debated supervillain origin story and R-rated box-office smash "Joker" topped all films with 11 Academy Awards nominations, while Martin Scorsese's elegiac crime epic "The Irishman," Quentin Tarantino's 1960s Los Angeles fairy tale "Once Upon a Time ... in Hollywood" and Sam Mendes' World War I tale "1917" all trailed close behind with 10 nods apiece.
In an election year, reflecting on a political power couple from the 1800s
NPR's Steve Inskeep, discussing his book “Imperfect Union: How Jesse and John Fremont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity and Helped Cause the Civil War,” touches on parallels to U.S. politics in 2020.
In 'Party of Five' reboot, deportation separates the family
The hit '90s TV drama is back with a timely twist. Co-creator Amy Lippman and writer Gabriel Llanas talk about creating a show about five siblings whose parents are deported to Mexico.
Art attack! The 'Plain Janes' deliver a shot of creative optimism
Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's beloved young adult comic returns with a collection of old and new stories — and this time, our art-loving heroines are a little more grown up.